Believe
by CircusofMine
Summary: Experience the stories of Disney's "Frozen" and Dream Works's "Rise of the Guardians" as never before in this tragic love story of she who cannot feel, and he who cannot be felt.
1. Prologue

"Mama Mama!" the little girl yelled, bouncing up and down softly on her bed. "Tell me a story, Mama!"

The woman kneeling behind her finished braiding her daughter's light blonde hair. "Alright, Darling," she replied, standing up.

"Yay!" the girl yelled, falling excitedly onto her pillow. Her mother walked to the shelf and picked out a green book with the print of an apple on the cover.

"What about 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarves?'" she asked.

"You just read that last night, Mama!" the little one complained lovingly.

"Of course, Dear," she replied with a smile, putting the green book back on the shelf. She scanned the books for a story, her fingers lightly brushing the spines of the bound, delicate bindings. She stopped and pulled out a red book with golden engraving of a rose on the front.

"Not 'Beauty and the Beast,' either." The girl crossed her arms over her chest.

"But I thought that one was your favorite?" the Queen asked, a look of puzzled bewilderment on her face.

"It IS, Mama," she replied, opening her arms with melodramatic abandon, "but I want something _different_."

Her mother sighed, placing the book back between 'The Little Mermaid' and "Winnie the Pooh.' She combed through the books again and again, searching for the right book. Upon taking out 'The Lion King,' she noticed something. She took the small, battered book carefully out of the back of the shelf and placed 'The Lion King' in its correct spot. The book was bound in dark blue leather, she noticed upon blowing off a thick layer of dust. She traced her finger over the white snowflake stitched onto the cover, feeling a sort of magical presence. She gingerly opened the book, taking great care of the weathered parchment. She could barely make out the faded navy ink, but she knew exactly what it was.

"What's that, Mama?" the girl asked, craning her neck to get a better view.

"This is a very special book, Elsa," her mother replied, turning towards her daughter. "One that I had read to me when I was a little girl."

"What's it about?" she asked.

She sat down at the foot of the bed, being careful about the bump forming at her middle. "Have you ever heard the legend of Jack Frost?"

"Who's Jack Frost?" Elsa asked, sitting up with her legs crossed.

"Well let's see, shall we?" The Queen read. "Once upon a time, there was a boy named Jack. He was normal, just like any person. He loved having fun, especially with his sister.

"Then, one day, he perished in an attempt to save his sister. Upon seeing his bravery, the Moon granted him eternal life and the power to control the snow and ice."

Elsa's mouth widened into a smile. "Just like me!" she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"That's right, Dear" She replied. "He could control any form of ice, from the most powerful blizzard to the softest flurry. Legend says that he can even bring his snow creations to life."

"Wow," Elsa exhaled, imagining what it would be like to feel the power of a blizzard under her control.

Her mother giggled quietly. "It's also said that he travels the globe, bringing winter fun to the children of the world."

"Do you think I'll see him this winter?" the child asked, lying back down under her blanket.

"I don't know, Darling," she replied, pulling the blanket up towards her child's chin. "Most people don't think he is real. Nobody has ever seen him before."

Elsa snuggled into the warmth of her bed. "Well, I believe in him," she said with a yawn.

The Queen stood up and kissed her daughter on the forehead. "Good night, Love," she whispered. She extinguished the candle on the nightstand and left the room, making sure to keep the door cracked open.

…

He looked into the room, the pale light of the moon shining faintly on the girl sleeping in the bed. The white snowflake stitched on the blue book sitting at the foot of the bed seemed to glow. He placed his hand on the window.

"She believes in me," he said, the glass under his palm instantly freezing, leaving a print of his hand on the pane. "She really believes in me." He took one last look, and flew away.


	2. Chapter 1

Jack sat on a rooftop, looking at the majestic building in front of him. The castle always looked so peaceful at night. The moon reflected off his white hair, making it almost glow. It had been a long time since he had been in Arendell. He remembered the last time he was here. He had created the biggest blizzard anyone had ever seen. Everyone, even His Majesty himself, was locked in their houses for days. He had listened to the parents telling stories to their kids at night, to help keep their nightmares away. He recalled one family in particular. She had said that she believed in him…

He stood up and tightened his cloak around his neck. Gripping his staff tightly, he jumped. He always loved to fly. Closing his eyes, he felt the cool, winter wind rush through his snow-white hair. His heart was beating fast. He could physically feel the adrenaline pumping through his body, energizing every part of his being. He opened his eyes and made a course for the castle. He had to see her again.

...

Elsa sat behind her chair, not daring to turn around and look at the window. Despite the wild excitement welling up in her chest, her breathing was slow and controlled. It was the first day of winter. She had been waiting a long time for this day, and she was not going to blow it by scaring him away.

She sat there for hours, every now and then checking on the window and the pillows she placed under the blanket on her bed. The only sound besides her soft breathing was the constant tick of the grandfather clock in the next room over. Even little Anna, who was only 6 months old, was sleeping quietly tonight. All Elsa had to do was wait. He would come. She just had to wait. Just wait. Just wai-

There was a soft falling of feet on the floor.

Elsa gasped quietly. He was here! He was really here! She turned around slowly, peeking over the chair just to make sure. She saw the boy in his brown cloak and trousers holding what looked like a giant stick. She couldn't see his face, but she knew it was him.

She burst from out of her hiding place. "It's you!" she exclaimed quietly. "It's really you!" He turned around and looked at her, the darkness obscuring his face from sight.

"W-what?" he stammered.

"I knew you'd come back, I just knew it!" she said, making her way towards him. "Everyone thought I was crazy, thinking that Jack Frost was here, but I just knew it was you! Ever since you frosted my window last year, I just knew you'd come back!"

"Hold on a minute," he interrupted. He stepped closer to her, and she finally saw him. His ivory skin chilled the air around him. The pale light of the moon bathed his show-white hair, giving it a soft glow. But what she was most drawn to were his eyes. They were a chilled blue, like the water underneath a foot of ice, just waiting to wrap you in their cold, loving embrace. He kneeled down and stared into her eyes. "You can see me?"

She couldn't rip her eyes from his gaze. "Of course I can."

His face widened in a warm, dazzling smile. "You can see me," he said. He jumped up in the air, but didn't come down. "You can see me!" he exclaimed.

"SHHHHHHH!" Elsa said, moving her finger in front of her mouth. "You'll wake up my sister."

"Sorry," he whispered while slowly floating down to the ground, his grin still taking up most of his face. "I just can't remember the last time someone saw me." He sat on his knees on the soft, carpeted floor. "What's your name?"

"Elsa," the girl replied.

"Elsa…" the boy repeated, giddy with excitement. "That's a pretty name. My name is-"

"Jack Frost!" she interrupted, looking up at him expectantly. "My mama told me all about you. She reads your story to me every night before I go to sleep."

Jack chuckled to himself. "Well, looks like I need no introduction," he said. He extended his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Elsa."

She grabbed his hand the way her father taught her, firmly yet gracefully, and was immediately filled with a strange sensation. It was not unpleasant, but she had never felt anything like it before.

"You're warm," she said, staring at her hand in his.

"You too," he said, also looking at his hand in wonder. He seemed to be feeling the same sense of astonishment as her. He held on to her hand for a minute longer, the let go, turning around to leave.

"Wait!" Elsa called after him. He was finally here! She wasn't going to let him leave yet! He stopped in the window frame. "Is it true that you can control a blizzard?"

He looked at her, a smile playfully resting on the tips of his lips. He came down from the windowsill and kneeled down close to Elsa. He held a closed fist out to her. When he opened it, a beautiful, large, white snowflake rose into the air. Elsa marveled at the sight. She had never been able to create a perfect snowflake before. It glowed with magic and wonder. As soon as it had appeared, it rushed into the air and exploded into a thousand tiny snowflakes, each with its own intricate design. Her room was filled with winter fun. She couldn't believe how easy he had made it look.

Jack chuckled to himself at her reaction. "Hey, Elsa?" he asked. She turned around and he was looking at her, his blue eyes filled with kindness and fun. "Do you want to build a snowman?"

...

Jack got up from the snow-covered floor of Elsa's bedroom. "Hmmm," he said, "Your snow angel looks a lot better than mine, Elsa."

She got up and stood next to him. "Of course it does, silly!" she giggled. "I'm a girl." he looked her quizzically. "Everyone knows girls make better snow angels than boys."

"Is that so?" Jack replied with a laugh, crossing his arms. "Then what do boys do better than girls, Ms. Smarty-Pants?"

She had her arms behind her back in natural innocence style. "Well…" she said, slowly compacting snow in her hands behind her back. "Boys are usually better at…" She hurled the small, chilly object. "Snowball fights!"

It was a direct hit in the face. "Oof!" he grunted as he fell backwards. "I've been hit!" Elsa pointed at him and giggled, gleeful with her victory. "But I'm Jack Frost," he announced triumphantly, standing up in the snow. "I cannot be beaten at my own game!" He held out his hand. The snow in the air gravitated towards his open palm, compacting to create a perfect sphere of crystalized water.

Elsa laughed playfully and hid behind her chair. She felt the thud of the snowball as it hit the cushion. She made another snowball to defend herself. She burst from behind her fort and chucked her ammunition, but her opponent was too quick. He smoothly, almost effortlessly dodged the assault, and posed to counterattack. He let loose the ammunition he had created in his hand. Elsa covered her face with her arms and braced for impact.

But the snowball never hit her.

When she opened her eyes, she saw a beautiful wall of ice in front of her. Jack's snowball had splatted against this barrier, never reaching its intended target.

"Elsa?" Jack called. "Elsa, are you OK?" He walked towards her. She was staring at her hands, clearly shaken. "How long have you been able to do that, Elsa?" he asked.

Her hands were still shaking. "S-since I was born." she replied, backing up. "Daddy says they're evil and that I should hide them. He says they could get me in trouble. I don't like them. I wish I had never been born with them-"

"Elsa," he replied, kneeling down in front of her, "your powers are beautiful." She looked up at him, her hopeful eyes filling with tears. He held his hand out to her. "You just need to learn how to use them." She put her hand in his, and he immediately felt the weird sensation again: almost like warmth. "Just close your hand." She did so. "Now, think of the most fun you've ever had. Imagine that moment, really focus." She closed her eyes, her forehead furrowing in concentration.

Jack let go of her hand. "You have this power in you," he said, standing up. "All you have to do now…

"…is let it go."

She uncurled her fingers, feeling a warm sensation radiate from her palm. She opened her eyes to see a beautiful white snowflake right in front of her. It was perfect. Every crystal in its right place, each tiny fiber weaving together to create this one-of-a-kind spectacle. And it was all hers. She looked towards Jack in astonishment.

But he wasn't there.

There was only the soft glow of the moonlight, and a frozen window pane engraved with the print of his hand. She looked again at the snowflake, and sent it flying into the air. Just as Jack's had done, it exploded into a flurry of snow, showering her room with winter joy.


	3. Chapter 2

"And it is said that he travels the globe, bringing winter fun to the children of the world." The Queen closed the blue-bound book, setting it down gently by her daughter's sleeping face. She kissed her on the forehead. "Good night, Darling," she whispered, quietly retreating from the room. She remembered to leave the door open a crack before departing down the hall.

Elsa listened closely to the footsteps, making sure she was far enough away before she jumped out of her covers. She held the beloved blue book in her hands. The snowflake stitched onto the cover was glowing in the moon's light, just like his hair. She knew he'd come tonight. For the past 3 years he had come on this day. He'd come again. She sat on her bed, looking at the snowflake glowing on the cover of the book.

There was an instant chill in the room. She could see her breath as she exhaled. She wasn't cold. She never got cold. She could, however, feel the fabric of the book and the fibers of the parchment pages moan in frozen displeasure. She looked up to her window: the third pane down on the right was frosted over, only the faint imprint of a hand visible through the snowy fibers.

She shot up excitedly from her bed, making sure not to wake Anna, and opened the window.

"Hello, Elsa," a voice said seemingly from nowhere. She looked around, trying to see him. He floated down a little, just showing his upside-down face in the window. He always looked exactly the same. His frosty hair glowed in the light of the moon, his porcelain skin only out-shined by his dazzling smile. And his eyes. The chilled blue spheres that, like the ice he so easily manipulated, were both intimidating and beautiful simultaneously.

"Jack!" she quietly exclaimed. "I knew you'd be back!"

He turned right-side-up and sat on the window ledge. "Of course, silly!" he said playfully. "It's the first day of winter! Who else do you think brings all the snow?" He chuckled, opening his palm and revealing a perfect, white snowflake. "Now, what fun will we have this year?"

Elsa looked timidly at her sister sleeping peacefully in her bed. "I don't know if we can this time, Jack," she said sadly. "I don't want to wake my sister."

Jack looked at the sleeping girl, and then back at Elsa. "Well then," he replied, "I guess we'll just have to take our fun somewhere else." He floated out of the window frame, holding his hand out for Elsa. She stared at the hand, wondering what he was going to do.

"Don't you believe in me?" he asked.

She grabbed his hand, warmth instantly rippling up the length of her arm. "Of course I do." The next thing she knew, she was flying through the air. She closed her eyes. The wind whipping through her light-blonde hair, she could feel her heart pumping fast as the adrenaline surged through her body. His hand was warm in hers, a feeling that she had started getting used to during his visits. She felt him slow down.

"Elsa," he said. "Open your eyes."

She did. She was hundreds of feet above the ground. The houses and buildings in the little town were like the toy ones she and her sister played with. The castle seemed to be years away, occupying the dark in solitary steadfastness. "This is amazing, Jack." She could barely make out the words. "Do you get to see this all the time?"

He chuckled to himself. "It is quite the view, isn't it?" he replied, also marveling at the beauty of the city. "Well, I have work to do."

Elsa looked up at him expectantly. "Can I help?" she asked, her eyes filled with moonlight.

He looked at her, smiling that playful, fun smile he always had around her. "Well, you didn't think I was just gonna drop you, did you?" With a laugh, they shot down towards the streets of Arandell.

...

They sat on the rooftop of the castle, admiring their work. Every house and street was covered in a thick layer of fresh snow, just in time for the first day of winter. Even the harbor was frozen over. Elsa knew that in a couple hours, the men would begin clearing the ice from the water.

"That was SUPER FUN!" Elsa exclaimed, hardly able to contain her excitement over what they just did.

Jack laughed. "You didn't do too bad yourself, Kiddo," he replied.

She looked up at him, his head silhouetted by the light of the moon. Still, his eyes were shining bright as stars and deep as the frozen water. "Why do you have to leave, Jack?" she asked.

He sighed. "I'd love to stay, Elsa. But it's always the first day of winter somewhere."

She grabbed his arm. The same warm sensation filled her hand. "But I don't want to wait another year to see you!"

He looked at her. Her dark blue eyes seemed to understand everything about him; to know all of his mistakes, his failures. Yet, they still were warm and friendly, as if she was ok with his faults; as if she liked him just the way he was. "You don't," he replied warmly. He stood up. "Whenever you miss me," he continued, "I want you to come up to this spot. This exact spot, ok?" She nodded, standing up with him. "I want you to come to this spot, and look at the moon."

"The moon?" she asked.

"Yep, the moon." he replied. "The moon gave me my powers, so a little bit of me is in it," he pointed at the moon, "and a little bit of it," he pointed at his chest, "is in me." She looked up at the moon, her eyes wide in wonder.

"So, whenever I look at the moon…"

"You're looking at me." He smiled, and she knew everything was going to be alright. She hugged him, not willing to let him go. The radiating heat was filling her entire being. She had never been so warm in her entire life.

He let go of her. "It's late, Kiddo," he said lovingly. "I think it's time you went to bed." She grabbed him by the hand, and he slowly flew down to her bedroom window. Her feet landed with a soft thud on the carpeted floor. "Good night, Elsa," he said, turning around to leave.

"Wait!" she whispered after him. He turned around. "Can you really bring snow to life?" she asked.

He laughed a little and opened his hand, revealing a butterfly made completely of snow. It flapped its way towards Elsa, its little wings leaving a trail of flurries as it fluttered in the air. It landed softly on Elsa's hand before disappearing in a flash of snow. She looked up at him in awe. "But how do you do it?" she questioned.

He looked at her with a playful expression. "Come on, Elsa!" he replied. "You already know the answer to that question!" With that, he flew away, not to come back for another 365 days. Elsa craned her head out the window, looking at the snow-covered rooftops that filled Arandell. She closed the window, placing her palm into the handprint engraved in the frost-covered pane.

...

Jack sat at the top of the North Mountain. The sky was awake, sending beautiful ribbons of light dancing among the stars. The first day of winter in Arandell was coming to a close, and he knew he had to get moving to the next part of the world. It was getting harder and harder to leave Arandell with each passing year. He didn't know how he would make it 365 days being invisible. He looked up at the moon, wishing for it to tell him a way that he could stay. But he knew it wouldn't. He flew up, preparing to leave Arandell for another year.

'Elsa'

He stopped. What had just made that noise? Was it in his head? Had someone said it?

'Elsa'

There it was again! What was making that noise? Who was saying her name?

'Elsa'

He looked up at the moon. That had to be it.

'Elsa'

That was it. The moon was telling him something. Elsa must need him. He darted towards the castle, dodging houses, shops, bakeries, and people. He flew up to her window. It was open. He hovered in, landing softly on the carpet. Her bed was empty. Her sister's, too. Where was she? Was she in trouble?!

"Hello, Jack."

He looked up. Standing in front of the door was a woman, beautifully dressed in the finest fabrics. A crown rested on her head, giving away any sort of secrecy about her identity.

"You can see me?" he asked.

She laughed quietly to herself. "Elsa's not the only one who believes in you, you know," she replied. She moved towards him.

"What happened to Elsa?" he inquired. "Is she hurt?" He was becoming more frantic. "Did something bad happen to her?"

The Queen shook her head. "Elsa's fine, Jack," she replied, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "She just…" He looked at her in anticipation. "She struck her sister. Froze her head."

"Oh no." Jack walked up to her. "Is she ok?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

The Queen recoiled from his touch. "Your hands are ice-cold, Jack," she said. "And yes, she'll be fine. We brought her to the trolls. They were able to cure her. However," she turned away from him, "she will lose all memory of Elsa's powers. That way, we can make sure this doesn't happen again."

Jack stepped towards her. "So you're just going to lock Elsa up?" The anger was rising in his voice. "Like a prisoner in her own house?"

The queen turned around. "It's the only way, Jack!" she yelled, tears streaming down her cheeks. "It's the only way to keep both of them safe! I don't like it either!"

Jack stepped back. He hadn't expected this reaction from her. "I can teach her," he said. "I can teacher her to control her powers. I can promise that this won't happen aga-"

"No, Jack," she interrupted. "You can't. As long as she uses her powers, everyone is in danger." Her eyes were filled with love and pain. "That's why you aren't allowed to come back here." He felt an invisible knife shoot into his spine. "Ever." The knife twisted.

"But, but I can-"

"No." she said, turning away from him again. "Leave, Jack Frost. At once."

He turned around and bolted out the window. His heart was beating fast, but not because of the thrill of flying. The tears that were attempting to fall down his face froze half-way, creating a shimmering coat of ice on his cheeks. He didn't look back at all until he reached the next town.


	4. Chapter 3

Jack stood on the top of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, looking down at the lights of the city. Paris had become a particularly difficult place to visit as of late: the city of love and romance. He had spent the day watching young lovers make their way here and there, not able to take their eyes off each other. He used to love watching the couples come here; it was the closest he could come to being seen, to actually feeling. But recently, it just brought back painful memories.

Now, the streets were dark and lifeless. Any romance that had lived on them during the day disappeared with the sun in a flurry of kissing and rose petals. He pulled the hood of his tunic over his head, not wishing to be seen. Not like it would matter, anyway. He raised his right foot. It had been getting harder and harder to use his powers.

To just let it go.

He slammed his foot against the roof of the building. A snowflake made of sheer ice grew from the spot where his foot had made contact with the stone, quickly covering the entire roof. He raised his hands, physically struggling with the weight of the power he was exerting. The icy platform, with Jack on top, lifted from the ground, slowly rising into the sky. He curled into a ball, holding the power inside himself for just a moment longer, before quickly stretching out, sending the tips of the snowflake to shoot in all directions, covering the Paris sky with clouds.

He slowly lowered himself back onto the Cathedral roof, staring at the light snow falling from the clouds he just created. He remembered how much she loved when he did that. Her face would light up, her blue, mysterious eyes sparkling with wonder, astonishment, and hope. He missed that. He missed her. He missed her so much.

'Arandell'

That voice. That voice again.

'Arandell'

He knew what it was this time. He looked up at the moon, partially covered by the clouds.

"Arandell'

He knew where he had to go.

...

Elsa stood on the icy balcony, marveling at her new kingdom. The chilly mountain air fogged her breath as she smiled at her creation. She had finally done it. She had finally let it go. She ran her hand down her light blonde hair, the light of the morning sun sparkling in the crystals embedded in the braid. She had forgotten how beautiful ice could be.

She felt a rush of icy wind. "Wow, Elsa," a familiar voice said from behind her. "You really let it go this time, didn't you?"

She turned around. "J-Jack?" She couldn't believe it. It was really him. He was exactly as she remembered: beautiful porcelain skin wrapped in brown trousers and a torn, weathered shawl, a smile that outshined the sun, hair that captured all the beauty and wonder of the moon, and chilled-blue eyes that seemed to be both warm and cold. After all those years, he finally came back. "It's really you?" she asked.

He leaned against his staff and gave a playful smile. "Who else would it be, Kiddo?"

"I'm not a kid anymore, Jack," she said, storming past him into the castle.

He followed her into the icy room. "What's the matter, Elsa?" he asked.

"Just go away, Jack," she replied, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

He floated closer to her. "Why are you so mad at me-"

"Because you left me!" she yelled, turning around to face him. His eyes were bright with confusion. "You left me, Jack!"

His feet touched the ground. "Elsa," he said. "I can explain. Your mother-"

"My mother is dead," she spat. "And you don't have to explain anything. I understand clearly." She turned around and walked away from him. "I know how much you _care_ about me. All you wanted to do was have fun. The second you heard about how dangerous my powers were, you left and never came back."

"Elsa…" he quietly pleaded from behind her.

She turned around. "I needed you, Jack!" she shouted, staring him straight in the eyes. All the rage that built up in her over the years exploded out of her towards the boy. The walls of the castle started to darken. "I didn't have anyone! I was so alone…"

He took a step towards her. "But Elsa, I was always with you. In the-"

"In the moon?" she interrupted sarcastically. She walked forward, pointing her finger accusingly at him. "I stared at that moon every damn night looking for you! And you NEVER CAME!" He stepped backwards, defeated. She turned away from him, not wanting to see the pain in his beautiful eyes. "You don't know what it was like to be so alone, to have no one see you, to know that the one person who really understood would never come back-"

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!" She turned her head to see him. He was gripping his staff tight, spears of ice shooting from the floor around his feet. The hurt in his eyes overflowed and trickled down his face, freezing at his cheeks. "Don't you understand that I would have spent every day with you if I could have?" His voice was shaking. Elsa turned her head away, folding her arms over her chest. She could feel the tears rolling out of her eyes, burning into her skin.

He took a step towards her. He couldn't believe how beautiful she had become. She radiated beauty, her showy-blue dress glittering in the summer sun. Her beautifully braided hair seemed to trap him in a web of wonder. And her eyes. Her deep blue eyes that looked right into him, into the soul he didn't know he had, and understood. Understood everything about him, faults and all, and still loved him. The eyes that she was refusing to show.

"I have died every day without you," he pleaded.

She froze. Conceal. Don't feel. She ran out of the room. Conceal, don't feel. She ran down the long staircase. She couldn't bear to see him anymore. Conceal, don't feel. To see the hurt in his eyes. Conceal, don't feel. To know that she put it there.

She fell to the ground in the middle of the great hall, not able to hold back her sadness anymore. She cried. Cried not because he didn't care. Because he did care. He had always cared. Why had she doubted him? Shards of ice started shooting out of the walls. Why did she need to blame what happened on him? It wasn't his fault. She really did care about him. She cared about him more than anyone. She had to tell him. She had to tell him before he left again. She ran up the stairs, the ice shards disappearing behind her.

When she reached the top of the stairs, he was gone. All that remained was a small book bound in dark-blue leather, and a handprint frozen onto the door. She picked up the book, tracing her finger over the snowflake stitched onto the cover. His words rang in her head. 'I have died every day without you.' A tear fell onto the cover.

"I died waiting for you, Jack," she whispered, silently crying as she clutched the book close to her chest.

"Elsa?" she heard from down the stairs. Another familiar voice. She hid the book in the room and started down the stairs. She couldn't believe what she saw when she entered the great hall.

"Anna?"


	5. Chapter 4

Elsa sat on the cold bed. Her cell felt small and cramped. It actually kind of reminded her of her room just a couple floors up. A prison. A place where she was safe from others, and they were safe from her. All she wanted to be was free. She just wanted to be who she was without fearing what it might do to those she loved.

But maybe it was better this way.

She tugged at the restraints covering her hands and chaining her to the wall. She hadn't really hurt Anna, had she? She couldn't have. She had to know. She had to find her. She had to get out of here and find her. The metal around her restraints started to glow white. Swirls of ice spiraled around the chain, intertwining fibers of snow that chilled the very core of the steel links. She tugged. She knew she could get out of there. The ice started climbing up the wall. She pulled harder. She had to see Anna. The frozen chains wouldn't budge. She yelled out, pulling with all her might. The chain links busted with a crack, sending shards of icy-steel flying through the air.

...

Jack flew through the chilled air. He didn't know what he felt. He only knew that he was supposed to be here. That she needed him. The wind whipped through his white hair as he jetted towards the castle. He was not going to lose her. Not again.

He flew up to her window and peered in. She wasn't there. He flew in, searching for some clue of where she might be. He noticed the frozen candlestick and jar on her dresser. He walked over to them, pulling out the little blue book he found in her icy castle. He traced his finger over the stitched snowflake, remembering the first time he had ever seen her. He missed her so much…

That feeling again. She needed him. He darted out the open window, leaving the book behind on the desk.

Flying out into the open air, he zoomed around the castle, searching for signs of her whereabouts. He stopped. Ice was creeping up the walls around the dungeon like a frozen plant. He only knew one person who could do that.

...

She could hear the footsteps of the guards outside the hall. Now free from her bonds, she walked towards the opposite wall and pounded her restrains against it. Every hit brought with it a clang and a grunt. The frozen metal moaned at being hit so forcefully. Icicles jetted out around her feet. She clanged her restraints against the wall one final time, and they popped open. The guards' voices were growing louder.

She felt that familiar chilling sensation from behind her. Turning around, she saw a handprint frozen into the window.

"Jack?" she asked as the wall around the window started to glow white.

...

Jack raised his staff. It was difficult for him to think of happy memories when looking at her trapped in her own home. '_Well_,' he thought, '_it's not really any different than how she's lived the rest of her life so far_.' He brought the staff down with a wicked crack. A jet of sub-zero ice spouted from the tip, instantly flash-freezing the stone wall. He gave one more push, forcing another blast of icy power towards Elsa's prison. The wall burst, its bricks and mortar not able to withstand the intense cold. She stood, staring at him with her blue, blue eyes.

"Jack-" she started to say.

He grabbed her by the hand. That warm sensation. "We have to go," he said sternly, flying into the winter air over the fjord. He had never noticed how cold everything was. It was easy to tell now that he was holding her warm hand. He darted past ships frozen in the water. He didn't know where they would go. He didn't care. He wasn't paying attention to anything except keeping her safe.

"Jack!" he heard faintly. "Jack, we have to stop!" He looked behind him. It was Elsa. She was screaming at him. Tears were falling from her eyes. "Stop, Jack! Stop!" He came to a stop, slowly setting her down on the frozen water.

She started to walk away. "What's the matter?" he asked.

"I have to find Anna!" she yelled behind her, not turning around.

"I can help you!" he yelled after her.

"No!" she replied, still walking away. "I have to do this alone."

He floated towards her, catching up in mere seconds. "Why? Why do you have to be alone? Why do you keep shutting me out?"

"Because I'm always alone!" she yelled, stopping in her tracks. "I have to be alone! I hurt people." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I hurt my sister. I hurt the people of Arandell. I don't want to hurt you, Jack."

"Don't you see?" he said, his voice filled with a mixture of kindness and frustration. "You don't have to be alone anymore." She started walking again. "I love you, Elsa."

She stopped. "W-what?" she whispered, turning around.

He looked sheepishly down at the ground. "…I love you."

She paused for a moment. Even in utter distraught, her very being radiated beauty. Her light-blonde hair glowed in the high sunlight. Her radiant gown draped over her perfectly, accentuating her best features and still giving an air of royalty. She wore no crown, but anyone looking at her would know she was a queen.

She ran towards him, tears falling from her deep-blue eyes. He closed his eyes and held his arms out for her embrace.

But it didn't come.

Her lips pressed into his. He was filled with a warmth that he could only describe as love. For that fleeting second, he saw everything that she was, everything that they were, and everything that they would be. In that instant, their future flashed before his eyes.

Then that instant was over.

The initial warmth of the kiss was soon replaced by a blast of the coldest temperature he'd ever felt and a shock wave that could be heard for miles.

...

Elsa got up from the icy ground. The blizzard of the previous moment's passion was surging around her. She stumbled helplessly through the howling wind. "Jack!" she yelled, squinting her eyes shut to see him.

"Jack!"

She continued through the blizzard, calling his name, looking for any sign of where he might have gone.

She heard footsteps behind her.

"Jack?" she asked, turning around.

It wasn't Jack.

...

Jack shook his head, trying to regain use of his sight. That kiss had been amazing. Then painful. He looked around for Elsa, but she was no where to be found. "Elsa?" he yelled, peering through the snow. The wind whipped at his hair and tunic. He covered his eyes with his arm to shield them from the blizzard. "Elsa!"

It was no use. He'd never find her this way. He flew into the air, high above the winter storm. He held his staff out, but it didn't stop. Why didn't it stop? He had never had trouble controlling his blizzards before. Unless…

It wasn't his blizzard.

"ELSA!" he screamed, desperate to find her.

Just then, the blizzard stopped. As quickly as it had started, it was over. He looked down at the source of the winter storm. Elsa lay on the ice, an auburn-haired man stood behind her.

With a sword.

He rushed down towards the mad man. He was not going to let him kill her. He could make it. He would make it in time. He had to. He flew faster. He had to make it. The man lifted the sword above his head. Just a little farther…

He stood in front of the assassin. "NO!" he screamed, eyes closed, putting his hand up to block the blow.

He opened his eyes in horror.

The sword went right through him.

He didn't believe.


	6. Chapter 5

That moment stretched out for an eternity. Jack stared into the eyes of the assassin. He had been so close. He had almost saved her. But the man's sword went right through him like he wasn't even there.

He didn't believe. He probably didn't even see him.

The gravity of the situation fell on him with the weight of the whole world. He dropped to his knees, his legs unable to hold him up any longer. He had lived for a long time, and in all those years he had never before felt such pain. He had been there. He had been _right there_, and there was nothing he could have done. Now she was gone. Forever. Tears were falling onto his clenched fists. His body trembled with the rhythm of his sobbing. He had lost her. He had been right there. And he had lost her.

Now he was alone. Invisible.

There was a weak voice behind him. "Anna?" it asked. He looked up. The assassin was lying unconscious on the ice. Had it actually worked? Had he saved her? He stood up, turning 180 degrees to be met with an ice sculpture in the perfect likeness of Elsa's sister. She was holding up her hand as if to protect something. Broken shards of sword lay sprawled at her feet. Jack's eyes widened in horror. He hadn't done anything.

She had saved Elsa.

He backed up. A mix of relief and shame washed over him like a tidal wave. In all these years, he had never met her sister. Now he could see her perfectly, her entire body encased in crystal ice. Her glass eyes reflected a sort of desperate love. A puff of air escaped the statue's mouth: a final breath. She had sacrificed herself for her sister.

Jack took another step back. It was all his fault. If he had been able to stop the swordsman, she would have survived. _He killed Elsa's sister_.

Elsa stood up. She was looking right at him. Her blue eyes that were usually so filled with love and understanding stared at him with nothing but fear and desperation, as if calmly asking '_What have you done?_'

She walked around to the front of the statue. "No, no, no, no!" she pleaded, raising her hands. They lingered delicately over the sculpture's cheeks for a moment, timidly avoiding contact. Tears streamed from her eyes. She rested her hands gingerly on the frozen face. "Anna!" she sobbed, throwing herself over her sister. Her entire body shook with the intensity of her weeping.

Jack stood behind her. The whole world seemed to freeze. He didn't know what to do. He had never consoled anyone before.

"Elsa," he said quietly, sadness trickling from his voice. "I'm so sorry." He took a step closer. She didn't even turn around. "I'm _so_ sorry."

He stood there with his head down for what seemed like hours, silently listening to her mourn on the frozen remains of her sister. And it was all his fault. How would she ever forgive him?

He looked up. He knew what he had to do.

His eyes shining with tears and determination, he walked forward. He gently placed one hand over the heart of the girl, and willed with every fiber in his being. He willed for the ice to move from its lifeless target.

And into him.

His body tensed. He could feel his hand cramping with cold. The spot where his hand touched the girl started to thaw. There was a sharp pain in his chest. He took a few steps back, watching the ice slowly fade from her sister's clothes.

He fell to the ground, his teeth chattering. He'd never been so cold in his entire life. The tightness in his chest continued; searing pain rippled through his body with every heartbeat. He looked at his hands: they were light blue. He couldn't move his fingers. The pain slowly crept up his face and down his legs. With every inch of torture he felt, he could see an inch of Anna's form unfreeze. '_If this is what it takes_,' he thought.

He struggled up to his knees. He had to tell her. She _had_ to know before it was too late. "E-Elsa," he whispered quietly, barely able to move his icy lips. "I love you."

With that, he went stiff, his entire body wrapped in the cold embrace of his frozen heart. He couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. A single puff of carbon dioxide escaped his open mouth.

His last breath.


	7. Chapter 6

Jack regained consciousness. He was lying on his back on the warm ground. He sat up, rubbing his hand against his throbbing head. He couldn't remember anything that had happened. Standing up, he got a better look at his surroundings. He seemed to be sitting in an endless expanse of white nothingness. "Where am I?" he asked no one in particular. His voice echoed around the vastness. '_That's weird_,' he thought. '_There are no walls._' Not wanting to spend any more time thinking about where he was, he picked a direction and walked.

He walked for a while, trying to remember every thing he could. '_My name is Jack Frost_,' he thought. '_I bring winter to the world. But nobody can see me, because they don't believe in me_.' His steps continued with a slow, steady beat, matching that of his heart.

'_But wait_,' he thought, stopping in his tracks. '_One person could see me. She believed. What was her name?_' He brought his hand to his head, trying to concentrate. '_What was her name?_' He didn't know he was thinking out loud. "What was her name?!"

"What was who's name?" a soft voice asked from in front of him. He looked up to see a woman in her mid twenties. She was beautiful, her straight brown hair hanging in sheets over her shoulders and down to her waist. She was wearing a brown dress made of the same material as his own trousers and cloak, with a red sash across the middle. Her large brown eyes seemed to be as fertile and full of life as the earth itself, a small beauty mark resting underneath the right one.

"What was who's name?" she asked again.

Jack looked at her in confused concentration. "I…I don't remember," he stammered. She looked so familiar. Why did he recognize her? Was it her name he was trying to remember?

"Oh well!" she said, her face bursting into a smile, a smile that was so dazzling that it seemed to outshine the moon and stars all at once.

He had to ask. He just had to know her name. "What's your name?" he asked timidly.

She closed her eyes and stood beside him, waving her hand dismissively. "Doesn't matter," she said matter-of-fact-ly.

He looked dumbfoundedly at her. "What do you mean, it doesn't matter?"

She continued to look straight ahead at the blank void. "I just think that people today put too much weight on names." She crossed her arms across her chest. "I think that who a person is shouldn't be determined by their blood or title, but by what they did to help people." She smiled a little. "Then the world would be a little better a place, don't you think?"

He put his hands in his pockets, staring at the void as well. He didn't know what he was looking for, but he liked to just look. To look at the vast whiteness and just think. "Huh," he replied. "I guess I never thought about it that way." They stood like that for a while, neither looking at the other, neither talking. Just silently standing, staring at the blankness in front of them, remembering what they did. Or, in Jack's case, trying to remember.

"So, what did you do?" she asked. "You know, to help people?"

He scratched his head. "I don't know," he replied. "I think I saved a loved one of someone I care about very much." Again the name eluded him. "But I don't think it counts because it's my fault she got hurt in the first place."

She turned towards him, placing her hands on her hips. "What do you mean, your fault?" she asked sarcastically.

"If I had been more helpful," he started, jamming his hand back into his pocket. "If I had been able to do more, she wouldn't have gotten hurt in the first place." He could feel the memories slowly trickling back to him. "And if I had just been there for her when she needed me, none of this would have ever happened. It's all my fault."

"You really haven't changed a bit, have you?" the girl asked. Jack turned towards her, a look of confused bewilderment on his face. She turned her head quickly back to face the white nothingness. "I- I mean, it sounds to me like you've got a lot of self-forgiveness to do. Considering where you are," she chuckled a bit. Her laugh sounded so familiar. "I think you've more than made up for your mistakes."

His lips cracked into a slight smile. Maybe it was time for him to forgive himself. "What about you?" he asked. "What did you do?"

"Well, when I was a little girl," she began, "I was playing on the ice with my brother. I almost fell in, but he saved me." She wrapped her arms around her like a security blanket. "That was his problem." she smiled a little bit. "Whether it was telling jokes, playing pranks, or anything else, he never thought about himself. He did everything he did for other people." Her arms wrapped tighter. "He died saving me."

Jack looked over at her. He didn't know what to do. He'd never been good at consoling people. He placed his arm around her shoulder, bringing her in towards his chest. "I'm so sorry," he said.

"Of course, I died of the fever only 18 years later," she said with a small laugh. "But in those years that he gave me, I got to live. I got married to the most amazing man on earth, and had a beautiful boy." Her eyes filled with love. "I named him after my brother."

Jack smirked down at her. "I thought you didn't believe in the power of names?" he asked with a slight chuckle.

"This one's different," she replied, the smile returning to her face. "I named him after my brother because, in a way, it was like he was back with me." She brought herself closer to him. "I thought that by naming him after him, he might grow up to do great things, too."

He pulled her in close, wrapping both arms around her. He didn't know why, but it felt right. Like some part of him that he'd long forgotten had been waiting for this for a long time. "I'm sure he would be proud," he said softly.

She looked at him, her eyes filled with life. "You really don't remember, do you Jack."

He looked at her in shock. What had she just called him? How did she know his name?

He could hear a voice in the distance. "_Love will thaw_."

"How do you know my name?" he asked as she stepped away from him.

"_Love_."

"Good luck, Jack!" she called, stepping further and further away. "I know you'll do great things!"

"_Of course_."

"Wait!" Jack yelled. "Who are you?"

"I love you, Jack!" she yelled back, nearly out of sight.

"_Love_."

The blankness around him melted away with the ice that was covering his body.


	8. Chapter 7

Believe (Chapter 8)

_Thump._

_Thump._

_Thump_.

_Thump_.

_Thump thump_.

Jack inhaled fast, violently sucking in as much oxygen as possible.

_Thump thump_.

It felt so good to breathe again. Through the fits of coughing he took in the earth's sweet elixir.

_Thump thump_.

He couldn't believe it.

_Thump thump_.

He was alive!

His head felt like it was splitting open. He tried to remember where he just was and who it was he was talking to. He knew it was important for some reason, but the memories were fading, escaping as quickly as the ice that was encompassing his body melted. The numbness that had been his body was fleeing, leaving a kind of chilled, numb pain. He felt it in his fingers. It wasn't pleasant, but it was a hell of a lot better than being frozen. There were his legs. His feet. His toes. He smiled at the feeling. He had only been that cold once before in his life. And it was not an experience he was willing to repeat.

He stood, testing his wobbly legs, bracing himself on his staff for balance. He was standing on wood. A ship's deck to be exact. '_That's strange,_' he thought. '_I thought I was on the fjord with…_' He looked up. She was there. Her hair was redder than the last time he saw her, but definitely not a statue. He had done it.

Standing next to her, arms raised in the air, was undeniably the most beautiful person he'd ever seen. The high sun reflected off of her light blonde hair, making the ice crystals embedded in the braid sparkle with all the colors known to man. Her gown radiated an essence of cool royalty, shimmering with an icy yet compassionate air only fitted for the best of rulers. And her eyes. Her eyes, as blue as the deepest part of the ocean, that could see right into his soul, were staring with intent and excitement up at the sky. He looked up to see what she was staring at.

His jaw dropped in shock.

The snow and ice that had been covering the entire city of Arendell was lifting into the air. In spirals it rose, sparkling in the light of the sun. The tiny crystals of frozen water wove together, creating giant strands of glistening ice that flew through the air as if of their own will. Jack had never seen anything like it. And he knew snow.

The strands congregated towards the middle of the sky, right over the boat he and the others were standing on, banding together to form a giant ornate snowflake. He recognized the pattern: it was almost identical to the one he created that night in her room.

Elsa brought her hands together, holding the power in for just a moment longer…

…Then let it go.

The six tips of the snowflake shot out in all directions, disappearing from sight in a flurry of shimmering, crystal mist.

Jack stared in awe. He had forgotten ice could be so…beautiful. With a shaky start, he floated up into the air. He smiled down on Elsa. "Way to go, Kiddo," he mumbled, still not able to take his eyes away from where the beautiful spectacle had taken place just moments before.

He flew off towards the castle.

...

Elsa walked up the long spiral staircase. It had taken her forever to get through the halls that night. She had never seen so many people in the castle before. I was nice. Not having to conceal anymore. Being who she was for the first time in forever.

And they all liked her.

She continued up the dark stairwell. It had been years since she had been up here. She could still remember her first time, looking down at the snowy streets of the town, his hair glowing in the pale moonlight. She paused for a moment at the door. He'd be there. She _knew_ he would be.

The door opened with a small creak.

"I've been waiting for you, Kiddo."

He was sitting on the roof, looking down at the city. He looked exactly the same, as if she had stepped into her memory. His brown tunic gently swayed in the summer breeze. His fluffy, white hair shined with a dull silver in the light of the full moon. He wore that same coy smile he always had around her. His eyes, chilled blue like the frigid water below a layer of ice, stared transfixed at the lunar orb that inhabited the sky.

Overwhelmed with emotion, she sprinted across the roof towards him, grasping his thin frame in her arms. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you so much."

He seemed surprised. "What's all this about?" he asked.

"I saw everything, Jack," She didn't know if she was crying out of sadness or happiness. "You saved her. You sacrificed yourself to save her."

He chuckled. "Oh, that?" he asked playfully. "That was nothing. What's a little cold to Jack Frost?"

She let go of him, half laughing half crying. "Stop it!" she giggled, sitting down next to him and pushing him teasingly. "It was a big deal and you KNOW it." They both laughed. She hadn't laughed in a long, _LONG_ time.

He sighed, looking back at the moon with absent interest. "It seems so close, the moon," he stated, seemingly to no one in particular.

Elsa stared at the moon, taking in all its radiant, malevolent majesty. It really did seem close. "Yeah," she replied. "It does."

He paused for a second. "But it's not, is it," he said flatly, almost in a defeated way. She looked at him. Sadness contorted his face into a frown: something she had seldom seen on him before. He didn't wear it well. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Elsa." She could barely hear him. It was as if he was in physical pain, like saying these words was knocking the wind right out of him. "I wanted to be here. I wanted to be here so bad. But I didn't come." His grip around his staff tightened, a think layer of frost creeping up the long stick. "I'm so sorry-"

"Jack," she said gingerly, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. He was so warm. He looked at her, his eyes filled with pain and regret. "It's ok." A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "You're here now."

The smile that his lips had hinted at earlier burst out, covering his whole face. It was so brilliant. She swore it out shined the moon. He let out a small, timid laugh and wrapped his arm around her, drawing her in close. They sat for a while, her head resting on his shoulder while he wrapped her in his warm embrace. She missed this. The warmth.

"Thanks for saving me, by the way," he said in his playful way. "Being frozen was kind of awful."

She giggled. "Well what did you expect me to do?" she replied. "Just let you freeze to death? Can you imagine what the people would say?" She put her mouth close to his year, cupping it with her hand as if to hide their conversation. "'Did you hear about Jack Frost?'" she said in her best gossip voice. "'Well, he froze to death!'"

He laughed. "'He should have stuck to playing with fire,'" he replied, playing along with the game.

"You'd have been the laughing stock of the whole country!" she said, clutching her stomach from laughter. She had never laughed this hard in her life. It just wasn't something princesses did. He was laughing, too. It was the same laugh he always used: his deep, genuine belly laugh. "Really, though," she continued, her laughing fit having subsided for the time being. "Thawing your heart was the least I could do after you saved Anna like that."

He chuckled a little. She felt him place his hand under her chin, bringing her face up towards his. His frozen-water eyes, glistening with the moonlight, seemed to stare right through her. "You thawed my heart a long time ago, Elsa."

She could never remember if he pressed his lips against hers, or vice versa, but all that mattered was that they kissed. They kissed for a long time. She was immediately filled with warmth: it spread from her lips throughout her body in a matter of seconds, wrapping her in an everlasting blanket of heat.

He pulled away. "No shock wave this time," he pointed out. "That's good."

She giggled quietly and pulled him back in, her hands reaching around his head, intertwining in his snow-white hair.

...

Jack could feel the morning light streaming in from the window and onto his face. It was probably warm, but it felt chilly compared to the heat radiating from the other side of the bed. He rolled over to look at the bed's other occupant: her hair, still braided, lay perfectly down her bare back. Her flawless skin was of pristine porcelain, glowing softly in the young light of the sunrise. She was sleeping so peacefully. He could have lived in this moment for ever.

Then it hit him: Where he was.

And what had happened.

"Shit," he whispered, carefully rolling out of the bed. He pulled his trousers on, being careful not to wake the goddess that was sleeping so soundly in the bed. He grabbed his tunic off the floor of the room and pulled it over his head. While he tip-toed towards the window, something caught his eye: a small blue book next to a candlestick on her dresser. The white snowflake stitched onto the cover glowed white. He smirked. He'd never be able to surprise her anymore.

He placed his hand on the third windowpane down on the left, instantly flash-freezing a perfect print of his palm on the glass. He turned his head back towards the girl. "I love you, Elsa," he whispered, sticking one foot out the window.

He shot out the window with the biggest grin on his face. Her warmth was still pumping through his veins. He couldn't wait for the first day of winter.


	9. Chapter 8

The wind whipped through Jack's hair as he flew through the sky. He wore the biggest grin on his face, his teeth glossy in the afternoon sun. His eyes sparkled with anticipation. It had only be a couple months since he was last here, but he just couldn't contain his excitement.

It was the first day of winter in Arendell.

He could scarcely get her image out of his head. Her flawless, clear skin; her glowing blonde hair perfectly bound in an icy braid; the chilly, blue gown that wrapped around her body, giving an air of frozen royalty; her wise blue eyes staring into his as she pulled him close to her; the feel of her lips pressed against his…

He shook his head, focusing his eyes on the castle ahead. Excitement welled up in his chest as he floated in front of the window. He placed a hand on the pane, watching it instantly freeze under his skin. His palm lingered over the print as he thought about how many times he had done that before. He didn't know why he did it, but it somehow felt right.

'_Wait_,' he thought. '_Don't I usually do this at night?_' He started to worry. '_Will she even be here?_' He opened the window and hovered into the room. His heart sank.

She wasn't there.

"Well, Jack," he mumbled, "that's what you get for being too anxious." He sighed, leaning against the wall. He had been in this room numerous times before and knew every nook and cranny. Her bed up against the right wall, the rest of which covered by large shelves crammed with books of all sizes and colors. He paced towards the wall of literature. '_I didn't know she liked to read so much_,' he thought. '_I've only seen this many books once before…'_ He picked up a scarlet book with the engraving of a golden rose on the cover. He smirked. "Figures," he joked, placing the book back on the shelf.

He turned to inspect the other side of the room. A large portrait of the late King hung over a small dresser. He was gazing directly into his eyes. Jack blushed. He was probably staring right at them the last time he was here…

He quickly dismissed the thought from his head. _THAT_ was not an image he wanted to think about. Ever.

He walked towards the dresser, being careful to avoid eye contact with His Majesty. The candlestick that had been frozen the last time he visited was now thawed, a soft stain spreading on the wood surrounding it. What caught his attention, however, was the dark-blue bound book sitting next to the candlestick. Right where he left it. He placed his hand on it, causing the snowflake sewn onto the front to glow a chilly white.

His heart leapt into his chest. He could hear soft footsteps running down the hall. Was she coming? Would he get to see her? The footsteps were getting louder. He set the book down. He would have to read it later. He had to see her. He stepped out the door into the hall, opening his mouth to call her name…

_SMACK!_

"Oof!"

"Ouch!"

He was sprawled out on the ground, the wind knocked out of him. He gasped for breath, clutching at his stomach. He could feel his head reeling with his fast pulse.

"Oh my gosh! Are you ok?" He looked up to see a girl in a green dress. Her red hair was bound in two braids that stretched down in front of her shoulders. Her round face, pulled into an expression of shocked concern, was dotted with freckles, matching the color of her hair. Her eyes were almost the same color as Elsa's, but they shined with a different, more youthfully ignorant kind of light. She was extending her arm towards him.

"I'm fine, thanks," Jack replied, beginning to stand up. He grabbed her hand for support.

"AHH!" she screamed, recoiling her hand from his grip. He fell back on the ground, the impact cushioned by his rear end.

"Yep. That's gonna bruise," he grunted, rubbing his sore behind.

"I'm so sorry!" she insisted, grabbing his hand again. "I just didn't expect you to be so cold." She pulled him up.

He smirked. "Guess I just got used to it." He jammed his hand into his pocket, the other firmly gripping his staff. "So, you're Anna, right?" he asked.

"The one and only!" she proclaimed, giving an awkward curtsey. He chuckled. He'd never met a more awkward princess in his entire life. "What are you laughing at?" she asked with both hands on her hips and a playful smile on her face.

He leaned against his staff. "I'm just wondering how you and your sister could be so…" he waved a hand in the air as if thinking of the right word. "…_different_."

Her mouth creased into a frustrated line, then widened as if to protest. Then she stopped. Her expression softened to one of excited contemplation. Jack stared at her expectantly. What was she doing? She brought a hand to her chin, obviously deep in thought. He couldn't believe what came out of her mouth next.

"A-are you," she began, "possibly, because, ya know, it's fine if you're not, but I was just wondering if it was even though it probably isn't so I shouldn't even ask but I'm going to because I just have to know-"

Jack leaned harder against his staff, amused by her awkwardness. "Just spit it out," he advised.

She took a breath, physically calming herself down. She was really excited about something. "Are you the one Elsa's crushing on?" she asked.

His heart stopped. His hand shot out towards the wall, catching himself from what what would have been a really embarrassing fall. How did she know? "W-what?" he asked, barely able to comprehend what she just inquired of him.

Her eyes widened in astonishment. "You _are_, aren't you?" she interrogated, bringing her hands up close to her face.

Jack regained his balance. "I am what?" He couldn't figure out what she was talking about.

She squealed and jumped in the air. Repeatedly. "I knew it! I JUST KNEW IT!" she screamed.

Jack still didn't understand. "Hold on a minute, now," he reasoned, trying to calm her down. "I didn't say anything."

She stopped jumping and moved close to him, her blue eyes staring directly into his. "Oh, you didn't have to _SAY_ anything. Girls just know these things," she explained matter-of-fact-ly, sounding a lot like her sister when she was very young. "Oh, Kristoff owes me _SO_ much money!" And the jumping continued.

He blushed a little. "Is it that obvious?" he asked sheepishly, leaning self-consciously on his staff.

"Oh, big time," she replied with a giant grin. He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks.

Jack sighed. Why were women so complicated? "Listen, Anna," he tried to say, but was interrupted by her constant chatter.

"Oh, I'm just so _GLAD_ she finally found someone you know how she can be she hasn't always been well you know the most _FRIENDLY_ person in the world but I knew that she would eventually find someone who was just as _UN_-friendly as her not saying you're unfriendly you seem like a really nice guy and all and I really like your hair but you did kinda bump into me which was rude but it was also kinda my fault but anyway I'm just so _HAPPY_ for you and her and her and you and everyone and-"

"_Anna_," he said a little louder. She stopped, turning towards him. Her eyes were filled with excitement. "Do you know where she is?"

The light in her eyes faded a little. She turned away from him, noticeably upset. "Yeah, I know where she is." She spoke softly. "She's at the base of the North Mountain." She turned around towards him. "But be care-"

He wasn't there.

She looked around the hall. There was no sign of him. Where did he go?  
She looked at the open window in Elsa's room, the curtains gently wafting in the chilly, early winter wind. There was an icy handprint on one of the windowpanes. Her eyes opened wide. Who was that boy?

…

Elsa stood on the dying grass, staring at the stones in front of her. She had waited a long time to be here. It was weird. She thought she would be more…sad than she was.

She pulled her shawl tighter around her, a chill running up her spine. She only knew one person who could do that to her. "Hi, Jack," she said quietly, not turning around.

"Hey, Elsa." His voice sounded like the warmth of the sun in the dead of winter. He was standing right next to her. She could feel his warmth radiating from his body. "Your sister said you'd be here."

She turned towards him. "You spoke with Anna?" she asked. He nodded his head, a smirk forming on the right side of his lips. "And she _SAW_ you?"

His face contorted to an expression of contemplation, as if he hadn't noticed this minor detail before. "Huh, I guess she did," he whispered in amazement.

"Well, maybe it has something to do with when you saved her," she reasoned. "Yeah. That must be it."

The smile returned to his face. "Well, one thing's for sure," he continued. "She can sure talk." Elsa giggled. She had missed him. "She knows about…you know…_us_."

She widened her eyes a little. "Did you tell her?" she asked.

"No," he replied cooly, a smirk forming at the tips of his lips. "She just kind of figured it out on her own."

Elsa laughed slightly. "Yep. That's Anna," she said with a sigh, turning back to face the two stones. "She was bound to find out sooner or later."

They stood there a long while, time itself seeming to stand still. The late fall wind felt crisper, dryer, more frigid as it whispered quietly past them, gently lifting and dropping her shawl and his hair. The slight salty smell of the breeze brought memories of the last time they were together: She had woken up in the morning to see him gone. He left nothing but warmth radiating from where he had been lying on the bed and a frozen handprint on the window.

But he was here now. She needed him, and he was here. That was all that mattered.

"You know," she started, her voice slightly shaking, "I thought I'd be a lot more sad that I am." Her eyes were fixed on the two large, flat stones that stood in front of her.

"What do you mean?" he asked timidly, not wanting to upset her.

"I guess that after a while I just had to stop kidding myself." She didn't care if he didn't know what she was talking about. Maybe it was better that way. "It was no secret that they loved Anna more. Anyone could see that." She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Don't get me wrong. They loved me. They _USED TO_ love me a lot." Her voice was getting stronger, more convicting. "But as soon as they had a normal child-"

She stopped. Warmth spread through the veins in her right arm. Her hand felt as if she had immersed it in a hot bath. He was holding her hand. She inhaled deeply, breathing in the salty winter air. She had never told anyone what she was telling him. It felt good.

"Sometimes," she began again, her voice clear and sharp as the winter wind, "I think about what they did, how they locked me away, kept me from everyone I loved, kept me from you, and I just hate them so much." His grip tightened around her balled fist. "And other times, I think about how they used to read me stories, stories about you, at night, and…" Tears were welling up in her eyes. "…and I just miss them so much." She fell into his arms, burying her face in his chest. He wrapped her in his embrace, pulling her in close. She was still surprised by how warm he was. Why did the Master of Winter feel like summer?

She cried, right then and there, over her parents for the first time in three years. No matter how poorly they treated her, how much they misunderstood her and her gift, they were still her parents and she loved them with all her heart. But they weren't there anymore. They weren't there to console her. To read her bedtime stories. To tell her how to be a proper princess and queen. To tell her that she was going to be a big sister. They weren't there.

But Jack was. And always would be.

...Or would he?


	10. Chapter 9

Elsa stormed into the room. Everything was going wrong.

"I'm sorry, Elsa!" her sister pleaded, a few steps behind her. "How was I supposed to know the chocolate fountain would go so wrong?" She sat down on the bed. "It seemed like such a good idea at the time…"

"Well, it didn't turn out so sweet, did it?" Elsa giggled sarcastically, admiring in long mirror the brown stain on her dress. She actually wasn't as mad as she thought she'd be. She was more amused. She knew this day would be a disaster.

Anna flopped onto the bed, throwing her arms up in the air. "Everything's RUINED!" she moaned dramatically. "And it's all _MY FAULT_." She flipped over and moaned into the blanket.

It had always been difficult for Elsa to determine whether or not Anna was joking when she got like this. "How will we _EVER_ survive?" she asked, playing along with her games. She sat down on the bed, still admiring the large, dirt-colored stain that embodied most of her dress. She liked chocolate, but not this much. Anna was uncharacteristically quiet. Elsa scooted a little closer. "Don't worry, Anna," she spoke lovingly. "I'll just send someone to get a rag." Her sister's body was shaking, small sobs could be heard muffled by the bed.

She was crying.

Elsa sighed. She hoped things were going better for the boys.

...

Jack paced around the room. "When's Kristoff gonna get here?" he inquired of the large man who stood in the corner. He was late. _VERY_ late.

The man spoke in a heavy Russian accent. "I'm sure he's on his way, Jack," he replied, crossing his arms over his chest. He was very large, but not necessarily fat. He was wearing his signature coat of red and black fur which trailed down past his knees, just skating over the wooden floor. "He'll be here."

"He better be!" Jack retorted. He sat on the bed, pulling at his stiff collar. He hated wearing nice clothes. '_Just two more hours, Jack,_' he thought to himself. '_Two more hours_.'

Just then, a man not quite as large as the Russian in the corned came sauntering into the doorway. His faced was beet read, beads of sweat dripping off his thick blonde hair.

"About freaking time, Kristoff," Jack spat, standing up. "You only have an hour to get ready!"

Kristoff leaned against the open doorway, his brown eyes glaring daggars at Jack. "Let's just say there were…complications."

A smile tugged at one side of Jack's mouth. "Chocolate fountain?" he asked. Kristoff nodded, his lips also curling upwards, warming his face.

The man in the corner chuckled a loud, warm, rumbling laugh that made his long, white beard shake. "I knew was bad idea," he mumbled in his thick accent.

Jack just laughed, strolling over to the window. "Today's been a disaster, hasn't it?" he asked, staring out at the beautiful morning sun as it shimmered on the fjord. Arandell was always so beautiful. He wished he could stay here more often. But it was always the first day of winter somewhere.

"Yeah," Kristoff replied, running his large hand through his coarse, blonde locks. "First there was the flower thing…"

"Hey," Jack interjected, pointing his finger at the man, "It's not my fault they put me on flower duty. What did they think was gonna happen?" Kristoff and the man in the corner just laughed. "But that's not as bad as you not getting a minister," he retorted with a smirk, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kristoff leaned back against the wall. "Trust me," he replied. "You do NOT want Grandpappy to perform ANYONE'S ceremony." He shook his head, trying to erase some memory from his mind. "It'll be the weirdest thing you ever see."

Jack sat on the open windowsill. "It's a good thing North here is an ordained minister, then," he said, pointing with his thumb at the large Russian man in the corner.

He laughed his rolling, jolly laugh. "Yes. Very lucky indeed," he said, his teeth almost as white as his beard and hair.

"And now this," Kristoff continued with a sigh. "I just don't think it can get any worse."

_'Shit_,' thought Jack. '_Why did he say that? Doesn't he know things ALWAYS get worse after someone says-'_

A man stumbled into the room. "Sorry to interrupt, but do any of you gentlemen know where to find a wash rag?" They all looked at each other expectantly. He continued. "It's for the Bride."

Jack and Kristoff both shot up, ready to help at a moment's notice. "I'll take care of this one, gentlemen," said the Russian, stepping away from his corner. He was huge. His very presence demanded everyone's full attention as he strode across the room. It only took him a few steps. The air he left in his wake smelled of pine and peppermint. He looked at both Jack and Kristoff with a large, jolly smile. "You two have enough to worry about as it is."

With that, he left the room with the man, leaving Jack and Kristoff alone. Jack whispered, "What the hell is going on?"

…

Elsa sat on the bed consoling her weeping sister. "Really, Anna," she said lovingly. "It'll all be ok. It's just a little stain."

"Mf mmmfmmf mm ffmmf mmfffmmmm!" she sobbed into the  
bed.

Elsa rolled her eyes. "You know I can't understand you when you talk like that," she said cooly.

Anna raised her head. "It's covering the WHOLE DRESS!" she wailed, flopping her head back down into the flannel comforter. Elsa sighed, not knowing what to do. She was new at this consoling-her-sister thing.

There came a knock from the door. "MMMFFFMMMMM!" moaned Anna.

Elsa stood up. "Come in," she translated. A short man in black dress clothes stepped timidly through the open door. In his extended hand he held a white wash rag. Elsa walked towards the man, taking the towel from his hand. "Thank you very much," she remarked courteously. She walked back towards the bed, rag in hand, coaxing Anna to sit up. "Come on, Dear," she said. "You can't walk down the aisle looking like this!"

Nothing but muffled moans from the melodramatic princess.

A voice with a thick Russian accent came from the hall outside the room. "I think this man here can take care of this, your Majesty." A large man with a snow white beard that trailed down most of his chest walked into the room. He was wearing a floor-length coat of red and black fur. His rosy cheeks bunched over his dazzling smile as he spoke. "I think you and I need to have a little talk."

She hesitated. She knew who he was, but why did he want to talk to HER? She handed the cloth back to the black-clad man and walked towards the towering Russian. She placed her arm through his extended elbow as he escorted her out of the room.

…

Jack stood alone on the cool ground, the soft grass frosting over with snow from making contact with his feet. People walked around and through him, discussing politely, telling jokes, making plans for the evening. None of them knew he was there. But he didn't care.

He looked towards the sun which shone brightly against the light blue sky. He loved looking at its reflection on the waves of the fjord. He rarely got to see water. Real water. Not frozen. He watched in awe as the light danced on the soft bumps of the water, mesmerizing him with its beautiful simplicity.

"I thought I'd find you out here," a gruff voice said from behind him. Jack looked to the right to see Kristoff, all decked out in his festival best (probably Anna's doing), staring at the spectacle unfolding on the fjord. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" he asked, the light dancing in his brown eyes and making his blonde hair glow.

Jack looked back at the light-crested water. "I guess," answered Jack, pulling at his tight collar. He missed his tunic and trousers.

Kristoff chuckled. "They really don't see you, don't they?" he asked, his voice a little lower.

Jack leaned against his staff sheepishly. "No," he said flatly, his eyebrows furrowing in frustration. "They don't."

"So," Kristoff continued jokingly, "to them, I look like I'm talking to an imaginary person." Jack inched away from him. "They must all think I'm _CRAZY_."

Jack turned around to leave. He didn't have to take this from him.

"Whoa, hey now!" Kristoff interjected, turning to face him. "I was only joking."

Jack stopped and exhaled, turning around to face the mountain man. "I know, Kristoff," he replied, giving his signature half smirk. He returned to his spot, each chilly step freezing a small patch of otherwise green grass. "It sucks that we couldn't have the ceremony outdoors," Jack mumbled. "I know how much Anna wanted for it to be outside…"

"Don't worry about it, Jack," Kristoff said while waving his hand as if to dismiss the subject entirely. Jack still felt bad about it. It was his fault they were having it indoors. Nobody wanted to accidentally freeze the city of Aranell. Again. "It'll be better this way. Less of a crowd."

Jack let out a little laugh. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He continued to marvel at the light as it danced on the waves. It was so peaceful, so relaxing that he could feel himself swaying with the subtle rhythm of the water. "What does it feel like, Kristoff?" Kristoff looked at him, his face contorted in confusion. "Water. What does it feel like?"

Kristoff smiled. "That's a tough one, Jack." He folded his arms across his chest. "It's like trying to describe color to a blind person. It's just something you never really think about, you know?" Jack lowered his head. It was a really stupid question. He didn't even know why he asked it. "But I guess I can try."

Jack looked up expectantly. He was finally getting the answers he was looking for! "Water," Kristoff began, "is like a mother. When you float on the surface, her waves rock you gently back and forth as if lulling you to sleep." Jack closed his eyes, trying his best to imagine the feeling. "And when you go underwater, she wraps your entire body in her arms not leaving a single nook out of her warm embrace. You feel like you're the only person on earth" Jack could almost feel it, feel the warmth of the water around him as he stood suspended in the blue nothingness. "Yet, somehow," he continued, "you feel connected to everything."

Jack opened his eyes, taking in the salty aroma of the fall air. "That sounds amazing," he whispered.

Kristoff smiled. "You know what? It is pretty amazing, isn't it?" he replied, the sea breeze swaying through his blonde hair. They stood there, side by side, for a while, staring mesmerized by the gently rocking of the waves. Bells could be heard faintly chiming from somewhere in the city. "Crap!" Kristoff yelled. "We're gonna be late!" He grabbed Jack by the arm and ran inside.

...

Elsa walked slowly next to the behemoth of a man, her arm still wrapped around his extended elbow. She didn't know where they were going, but it felt good to get out of that room. His arm was warm; she wasn't sure if it was just the fur coat or if he was actually that warm. "Has been, eh, quite the day, dah?" he asked.

She laughed a little. "You can say _THAT_ again," she replied, thinking about everything that had gone wrong in the last 24 hours. She looked down at the brown stain occupying most of the front of her dress. "Why am I even doing this..." she whispered.

"What you mean 'why are you doing this?'" he asked, his breath giving off the aroma peppermint and crisp, winter wind. His electric blue eyes were staring right into hers, as if looking at her thoughts and feelings.

Elsa sighed. She didn't know how to ask this. "H-have you..." she began timidly. He looked at her expectantly. "Have you ever been in love?" He stopped. His eyes were full of surprise. "I'm sorry," she said quickly, lowering her head in embarrassment. "That was a stupid question."

His laugh boomed throughout the empty hallway. "Nonsense!" he bellowed, continuing his steady stride down the passage. "Not stupid question." His smile spread from ear to ear, forcing his rosy cheeks to scrunch and reveal small dimples. "I did have love once. A long, long time ago."

She looked at him expectantly. "What was she like?" she asked.

His smile widened, his eyes sparkling with joy and nostalgia. "She was an angel," he began, his voice saturated with love. "A perfect snowflake crafted by God himself. She was fair as delicate winter flower, dah, but strong as sturdiest pine. And she made the best cookies!" Again his laughter rang in her ears. "Oh, how I miss the cookies!"

Elsa giggled, bringing her free hand towards her mouth. "That sounds wonderful," she replied, thinking about what his perfect woman might look like.

"Dah, she kept me well fed." He patted his stomach with his left hand. "Well fed indeed!" They both laughed at the joke. It was nice. Elsa hadn't laughed all day. "Oh, how I miss her..."

"What happened?" she blurted. '_Shit_,' she thought. '_Why did I ask that? A princess would never ask such a question_!' she could feel the blood rush towards her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she whispered, lowering her head in embarrassment. "That was such an insensitive thing to ask-"

"Do not be sorry," he replied in a friendly way. "I love talking about my wife. We had many great years together." His shocking blue eyes dimmed. "But not everyone can be immortal." Elsa's heart stood still. Immortal. Forever. Eternity. Always. "Not a day goes by that I do not miss her," the large Russian continued. Perpetual. Enduring. Endless. Evermore. Jack was immortal. He would live forever. He would miss _HER_. Forever. She couldn't do that. Not to him.

The man stopped and looked right at Elsa. His electric blue eyes stared into hers, a certain energy radiating from his gaze. "But," he began. "Even thought my days with her were short, I wouldn't have given them up for all the world." His wintergreen smile cracked across his face.

Elsa threw her arms around him. That was all the reassurance she needed. "Thank you," she said. "Thank you, Mr. Clause."

"Please, your Highness," he replied, patting her gently on the back. "Call me North." She pulled away from him, her face beaming with happiness. There was no doubt in her mind now. She loved him, and that was all that mattered.

Bells rang softly from the city outside the castle. "Shostakovich!" North exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock. "You have a ceremony to get to!" He grabbed her by the hand and started down the hall.

"Wait!" Elsa called. He stopped. "My dress!"

He turned around, an apologetic look dressed his face. "We don't have time, your Highness!" he persuaded.

Elsa smiled. She knew what to do. She brought her hands down towards the bottom of the fabric. She could feel the power surging through her veins, energizing her entire body. She felt the warmth escape her hands and shoot towards the dress. Crystals of frost swirled around the base of the gown, quickly winding up the fabric. In mere seconds, the stained garment was replaced by a brilliant white gown adorned with perfectly cut ice diamonds. She smirked at the shocked expression on North's face.

He laughed a little. "Dah. You two were made for each other," he said, taking Elsa by the hand and escorting her towards the ceremony.

...

Jack stood nervously at the front of the small room. 'Where was she?' he thought. 'It wasn't like her to be so late.' He tugged at the collar that closed so tightly around his neck. Oh, how he HATED nice clothes. He didn't even have his staff. His thoughts were running rampant in his head. '_Maybe she left. Maybe she doesn't love me anymore. Maybe it's because I ruined the whole thing. It was stupid of me to try. I shouldn't have even tried. She could never love me. She could never love-'_

He heard the small quartet of elves begin to play. He looked up and had to force himself not to cry.

What he saw standing before him, gently gliding down the small aisle escorted by the giant Russian, was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. The gown was the color of freshly fallen snow, softly falling from her perfect chest down to her pure white shoes. The sleeves and neck line were encrusted with icy gems, the most perfectly cut he'd ever seen. A silver crown rested atop her light golden hair, a shimmering veil of white snow cascading from the base down over her perfect face. Behind the veil, he could see her perfect porcelain skin glowing with royal radiancy, every feature beaming in sheer happiness. And her eyes. Her deep, blue eyes that seemed to look right into his own soul and wrap in in their loving embrace. She couldn't take her eyes off of him, and him her, during the entirety of her procession to the front of the altar.

How he had longed for the beauty of water only moments earlier, now to know that he already had the most beautiful thing ever created.

North walked around her, assuming his position as minister. His face was overcome with joy. "Let us get this wedding started, dah?" he boomed.

...

"Do you, Jack Frost," the large man continued in his thick Russian accent, "take this woman, Queen Elsa, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

Jack smiled at the radiant beauty that stood before him. "Yes," he replied, hardly able to contain his excitement.

The Russian chuckled. "And do you, Queen Elsa of Arandell, take this man, Jack Frost, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health..." He stopped. She looked at him expectantly. "...As long as you both shall live?" he asked with a wink.

She smiled, staring back into Jack's icy blue eyes. She thought of her past and all the events that brought them together. Tore them apart. Brought them together again. She didn't know what the future would bring for her, but she didn't care as long as he was standing next to her.

"I do!" she replied. Jack's eyes lit up with excitement. She could feel it running from his hands that were gently clasping hers. It was almost official. All that was left were...

"And now, little snowman, the rings!" North proclaimed.

A gasp could be heard from the side of the room. The small snowman standing off to the side came forward, a look of sheer terror on his face. "I FORGOT TO GET THE RINGS!" he yelled. '_Why not_?' thought Elsa, rolling her eyes. '_Everything else has gone wrong_.'

"Wait," said Jack. "I think I've got an idea." He raised his left hand and placed it gently over Elsa's heart. He gingerly took hers, and placed it over his own heart. She could feel the warmth surge through their connected bodies. Small swirls of frost etched their way into her, forming the pattern of a small, icy heart. A band of ice tattooed itself around her left ring finger. She released her hand from his chest, noticing an identical ring around his finger. "Now," he said softly, "I'll always be on your heart." He pressed her hand firmly agains his chest. "And you in mine."

Her eyes filled with joyful tears. She couldn't wait any longer, not even for North to make it official. She wrapped her arms around Jack and kissed him, for the first time in forever, as husband and wife.


	11. Chapter 10

Jack rushed through the sky, cutting the wind like a blade. The crisp, winter breeze flew through his snowy-white hair, brushing against his porcelain skin and sending shivers down his spine. The sun glinted off his ivory teeth as he grinned. He always loved flying, but it was especially invigorating now. He was a guardian. He had friends. He wasn't alone anymore. His grin widened at the thought as he did a backflip in the air.

He had never been so happy in his entire life.

But then there was that thing.

That pit in his stomach he could only feel at certain times of the night. Especially when the moon was full. It hurt him. He had felt it since he could remember, but couldn't ever figure out what it was…

He quickly dismissed the thought from his mind. It didn't matter. Everything was finally going well for him. He pulled hard on the strings of his blue hoodie, tightening his hood around his neck for better aerodynamics. "To the Tooth Palace!" he announced to himself, zooming towards the horizon.

…

Jack sat on the roof of Jamie's house staring at the night sky. He liked being there. He felt like he belonged. The black nothingness of the winter sky was dotted with bright stars, almost like freckles. They all looked so close and so small, like he could just reach out and touch them. But the moon, the full moon, seemed closest of all. It wasn't saying anything to him tonight, though. Sometimes it did. But not tonight. Tonight it was just Jack and his thoughts.

As he looked from star to star, drawing mental lines between the dots, he thought about his weird trip to the Tooth Palace. Tooth had acted especially strange. She had called him there, said it was urgent. He expected some sort of attack on the teeth.

Nope.

She just wanted to give him someone else's teeth. She said they were important. Jack thought it was a waste of his time to go all the way there to get some other person's teeth. What was really odd, though, was that Tooth seemed to be really sad about something. He had never seen her so distraught over teeth before in his life. When Jack had asked her what was wrong, she just kept telling him that the teeth were very, VERY important.

He took the small capsule out of his blue hoodie pocket, wondering what was inside it that could be so powerful. The face on the side of the cylinder looked so familiar: the pale white skin, the light blonde hair running in one single braid down her left shoulder, the deep blue eyes that, even in a picture, looked right into his soul…

He clutched his chest. The pain was back. It radiated in waves from his chest through every fiber of his being, forcing his entire body to convulse and shake. It was as if there was a gaping hole in his chest. He didn't know how it got there. But he felt it. The pain was much, MUCH worse than last time.

He looked back down at the tooth capsule as the pain started to subside. What was it about this girl that made him hurt so badly? He stared at the moon for answers, gritting his teeth with discomfort. The light from the lunar beacon intensified, thinning to one solid beam that shone onto Jack's lap. He gazed down at the golden cylinder shining in the moonlight. The cover of the small case opened in a flurry of diamond dust. Jack's eyes opened in shock. Was the moon doing this? Was this what he was supposed to see? Was this what was so important?

He placed his hand over the teeth. He had done this once before in his life, and it had been one of the strangest experiences of his life. He had looked at his own forgotten memories, stepped into his past shoes, felt every emotion, every thought that ran through his head at that moment. He wondered if it would be any different from someone else's perspective.

The anticipation was building, butterflies going wild in his stomach. He was finally going to learn, after all these years, why he felt so much pain. The void was going to be filled.

But with what?

Hot white light flashed around him from the container, ripping his mind to a new world.

…

Jack crept towards the window. He knew he couldn't surprise her. He never could on any other night, but not tonight. It was the first night of winter.

Their anniversary.

He peered into the thin glass, smiling gently. The oh-too-familiar room was bathed with the warm light of the candle on the night stand. That had been a present from North himself, crafted from the finest pine in his own workshop. He still couldn't believe it lasted this long. Two children, a young boy with red hair and freckles, and a little girl with dark strawberry-blonde hair that rolled down her shoulders in two thick braids, lay on either side of the bed. A woman was lying between them, one child in each arm. Her magnificently full braid of silvery gray hair lay gracefully over her left shoulder. Although her face was wrinkled and saggy with age, she still had a warm, loving smile with teeth that sparkled like the stars in the night sky. Only her eyes showed no signs of her agedness: they gleamed with the same wonder and beauty as when she was only 4 years old. She was holding a battered book in her hand, the cover of which at one time was a deep, dark blue, but now was faded to a dark gray/blue mixture. The snowflake on the cover, however, still glowed with the same bright whiteness it had when Jack first laid eyes on it. Jack leaned in closer, pressing his ear agains the window. He could barely make out what was being said.

"And it's said," the old woman was saying, "that he travels the entire world, bringing winter fun to every child." She closed the book.

"Auntie Elsa," the girl asked, "Is it true that he really travels the whole world?"

The woman chuckled softly. "It is, Dagny," she replied. "He flies around the whole world, visiting each town on its first day of winter."

"Wow," the girl whispered, her eyes filled with wonder and amazement.

The boy crossed his arms over his chest. "Jack Frost couldn't possibly exist," he stated matter-of-fact-ly.

The elderly woman looked at him, her face contorting to one of playful inquiry. "Now why is that, young man?" she asked.

He threw his hands in the air. "How could one person make ALL the snow in the WHOLE WORLD?" he exclaimed, throwing head back in melodramatic abandon. "He just couldn't POSSIBLY be real."

The woman had to stop herself from laughing out loud. "You know what, Klaus?" she replied, pulling him closer to her. "You remind me a lot of your grandma when she was your age." His freckled face blushed with this. His sister pointed her finger at him and snickered. The woman shot her a quick glare, and she stopped. "And I know he's real," she continued, looking back down at her great nephew. "I've seen him."

The boy's eyes and jaw widened in awe. "You HAVE?" he and his sister gasped simultaneously.

The Queen laughed a little. "Oh, yes," she giggled. "We were quite good friends back in the day." The kids stared at her in admiration. "We still see each other…" she continued, looking at the window Jack was behind, "…from time to time." His grin widened. She smiled back.

"I can't believe it!" the strawberry-blonde girl exclaimed, jumping up and down on the bed. "My own Autie Elsa is friends with Jack Frost!"

The boy's face was lit from ear to ear with a dazzling smile. "You're, like, friends with a CELEBRITY!" he told her.

Her laughing intensified to the point of a short cough attack. "That I am, Klaus," she whispered when her coughs subsided. "That I am." She smiled down at the children, bringing their heads close to her, holding them for just a moment longer. "It's getting late," she said, letting go of them. "Your mother will be furious at me if I let you stay up as late as last time."

The children both sighed. "Awww," they said in unison. "Do we have to?"

"Yes!" she said with a smile, waving them away. "Off to bed, both of you!" They kissed her on the cheek, then ran out of the room and down the hall. The elderly woman sat in her bed, the blue-gray book lying on her lap, staring lovingly at where the children had rounded the corner. "You can come in, Jack," she said quietly after a couple minutes. "They're gone."

Jack quietly opened the window and flew in, his feet landing on the plush carpet of the floor. "They just keep getting bigger, don't they?" he asked, moving closer to the bed.

The woman kept looking at the empty doorway, her eyes filled with love and light. "They're wonderful children," she whispered. "Anna would be so proud of them." She giggled quietly. "They love to hear your story, Jack." He stepped closer to her. Still she refused to look at him. "They look forward to the first day of winter every year when they get to hear about you."

He softly planted his lips on her warm, wrinkled cheek. She closed her eyes, bringing her hand up to his face. After all these years, not once had he gotten used to how warm she was. She looked into his eyes, hers filled with love and sadness. "Look at you," she said, her voice shaky with age. "You haven't aged a day." She caressed the side of his face with the back of her hand. "It's like I'm looking at you by the window from behind the chair all those years ago…" She trailed off, interrupted by a fit of coughs. "And now look at me," she continued, gesturing to herself.

Jack smiled, sitting down on the warm flannel comforter. "You look beautiful, Elsa," he assured her, resting his hand on hers.

She smirked at him. "Don't lie to me, Jack," she joked, pointing her finger at him accusingly. "At least your hair went white before mine." They both chuckled, filling the room with the sweet music of laughter. He held her palm in his, his thumb gently rubbing the back of her hand. The icy ring around his finger glowed a soft light blue. He was so happy just being there. With her. Klaus and Dagny weren't the only ones who had looked forward to this night all year long.

"Happy anniversary, Love," he whispered, staring into her deep blue eyes.

She smiled sweetly, gripping his hand firm. "Happy anniversary, Jack," she replied. He bent in close, closing his lips gently around hers. The same electric warmth spread throughout his body. He never got tired of that. When he broke away and opened his eyes, she was looking excitedly at him. "Jack?" she began, her voice youthful and energetic. "Could you make it snow?" she asked, looking at him hopefully. "Like you did when I was a little girl?"

He smirked at her, standing up from the bed. "Come on, kiddo," he said sarcastically, leaning against his staff. "I know you're good enough to pull off THAT trick."

She smiled at him, raising her right eyebrow playfully. "Oh, I could make a blizzard for you, if you wanted," she retorted, straightening up on the bed. "And if these old bones had enough energy," she added quietly.

Jack chuckled, the tips of his mouth tugging upwards to form his signature half-smirk. He moved towards the center of the room. Bathed in the pale moonlight, he lifted his left hand and closed it into a fist. Elsa stared at it intently as it shook with the suppressed power. The frozen ring around his ring finger glowed with energy. He smiled, holding the power in for just a moment longer…

…then let it go.

A large, perfect snowflake floated up from his open palm, lighting the room with a magical glow. Elsa gasped at the sight. It was the same kind of astonishment and wonder Jack had heard in her the first time he showed her this all those years ago. He held the snowflake suspended in the air for a moment, marveling at its beautiful perfection, before sending it shooting into the air. It exploded into thousands upon thousands of tiny snowflakes, each with its own individual pattern. The bits of frozen water wafted gently towards the ground, filling the room with winter fun. Jack had seen this trick done countless times before, but he still couldn't help but marvel at the gorgeous simplicity of it all. It was lovely.

"It's beautiful, Jack," he heard softly from the bed. "Simply beautiful." He looked at her, an expression of fun and awe spread across his face.

She was crying.

He quickly moved toward her. "What's wrong?" he asked, placing a hand on hers.

She sniffed sharply, wiping her tears away. "Oh, it's nothing," she assured, pulling him in close. "I just missed you, that's all." She pressed her lips against his. He closed his eyes, letting the warmth radiate through his body. He was still holding her left hand in his. He felt her move her face away from his as she placed her hand on the back of his head. She removed her hand, sending a shock wave of pain rippling through his skull.

"E-Elsa?" he stammered, opening his eyes. There seemed to be a cloud in front of him.

"I'm sorry, Jack," she said, her voice quivering. Pictures started to form in the cloud. Pictures he recognized. They were memories. Memories of them together.

His memories.

"What are you doing to me?" he asked, his voice saturated with pain.

Tears were streaming down her cheek as she gripped his hand tighter. "The trolls taught me," she said, choking back her sobs. "I've been alive for a long time, Jack." The picture of Klaus's birth flashed in the cloud, then disappeared. "And not everyone can be immortal."

Jack stared in awe at the cloud as pictures of his life with her - the countless anniversaries, when he learned that she couldn't have children, their wedding - flashed before his eyes, then disappeared. Forever. He looked at the woman. Her face was contorted in pain and anguish, physically straining to perform such difficult magic. He felt her hand, still in his, growing colder.

"You have your whole life ahead of you," she sobbed through her tears. The scene of them on the roof. Her thawing his heart. Him saving Anna. Them at the ice palace. The Queen kicking him out. Their first meeting. All vanished. Her was cold and clammy in his. "Enjoy it."

He saw in the cloud the first time he ever heard her say she believed in him. It lingered there for a moment, then vanished like all the others along with the cloud. Elsa fell back in the bed, her head resting on the pillows. She was breathing heavy, tears still streaming down her face.

Jack looked at her, blinking in confusion. "Who are you?" he asked.

She smiled at him, tears welling up in her mysterious blue eyes. "I love you," she whispered as the last traces of warmth left her hand.

Jack wrapped his arms around her cold, lifeless body. He could feel hot tears flowing down his cheeks. He didn't know why he was so sad. He felt like he should know her.

But he didn't.

…

Jack inhaled sharply. He was back on Jamie's roof, looking at the small golden container. Hot tears were still streaming down his cheeks. He clutched his head and sobbed. If anyone believed in him, they would have heard his wails for miles. He cried for hours. How could he have forgotten? How could he have forgotten all about her? After all these years. Hundreds, HUNDREDS of years, he had forgotten all about her. His entire body convulsed in sadness. He had been living a lie. This whole time, he had been living a lie. He knew what that hole was. He knew what that pain was. Some part of him, deep down, missed her. He missed her so much…

He felt a warming sensation. He hadn't felt that in years. He looked up. It was coming from the moon.

'Hello, Jack,' a voice said.

That voice.

'It's been a while.'

THAT VOICE!

"Elsa?" Jack asked, his voice still shaky with sadness.

A single moonbeam shone from the astral body, shining down on Jack's chest. he looked down: the faded imprint of a heart over his own glowed light blue in the moonlight. He knew it. It was her.

'Like you once told me,' the voice continued, 'A little bit of me is in the moon. And a little bit of the moon…'

"Is in me," Jack finished, smiling up at his love. She had been with him this whole time.

Even when he thought he was alone.

She was always with him.

He didn't just know this.

He believed.

*End*


End file.
